Noodles & Company

Specifically wanted to try Noodles and Co on my trip to Denver.
The GPS listed several, this one on 3^rd seemed the closest. Nope — I drove up and down 3^rd for 15 minutes (cute little area of upscale stores, boutiques and restaurants) and COULD NOT FIND THIS PLACE. Finally gave up and drove 3 miles away to a different Noodles and Company. I don’t see how this is the fault of the GPS — I was in the right place. there must be no sign?
ADMITTEDLY I did not eat at this particular Noodles and Company (although I wanted to). I was just so mad I felt I needed to leave a note… somewhere.

Mac and Cheese here is like crack for children. For reals. Service here seems to vary greatly but I’ve never had outstanding service. I get that it’s a fast food type of place but if you work here you should probably realize that there will be children. Children make messes and can be noisy. I will do my very best to clean up after the children but I am also trying to get them to eat quickly so we can leave quickly and not disturb everyone around us. Kids are loud when they eat, they get excited. Can I stop that? Nope. So please don’t throw dirty looks my way when my kid accidentally knocks an entire bowl of noodles on the ground. His elbows didn’t mean to do it. And he was genuinely upset because he lost his dinner. (And yes, I tried to clean up as much of it as I could but I was also trying to ensure babies weren’t throwing food on the floor.)
Thanks to the one nice person in the restaurant who brought a replacement bowl and made the kid smile again. And refused to take my money. That is all.

My rating, a-​ok, means I go here for my kid. They have an awesome set-​up that works well for people looking to get a quick bite, or people with kids that need to be fed fast. The food is decent, but it’s not the sort of nosh that makes you say «Ooh, I should totally hit up Noodles tomorrow.» At least not for me, anyway. They have an awesome mac and cheeze – and I use the «z» with purpose. Their salads are the only thing I have ordered, my favorite being the seasonal backyard bbq salad with coleslaw dressing. The dressing is actually awesome and I would buy it if I ever saw it bottled. Speaking of bottles, they have beer and wine, which is another major plus, along with the rice krispie treats that are roughly the size of my head.

I have been bringing my daughters to various Noodles & Co. for many many years. It fills them with such delight, and they look forward to it like they do a holiday. I must admit their mac –cheese IS pretty yummy, esp. with the chicken. However it is more often than not the kids who prompt a visit, and mommy just indulges for the sake of her children. I mean what kind of mother would I be if I didn’t make the best outta it… right?
First things first, I am always impressed by a nice, friendly, sincere greeting. It matters not where I roam, Mc Donald’s or Gibson’s, first impressions go a long way with me. Today I was greeted with a big smile and a lot of spunk. Good job. I also like it, and am greatly relieved when someone taking my order repeats it to me, it gives me a sense of security and communication that I hold in high regard. I got this today too! Nice!
Sammie had the Penne Rosa with Parmesan Crusted Chicken. Jessie, the Wisconsin Mac & Cheese with Chicken and I went with the Thai Curry Soup. One word came to mind as the meals were placed in front of us and we began to eat. FRESH. Fresh ingredients that clearly stood out as such and made what could be an OK meal, really really delicious. From the mushrooms and tomatoes to the basil or spinach, it was ALL incredibly FRESH. I was completely impressed. My soup was fa bu … the coconut curry was smooth as silk and the flavor of the basil and red onion were amazing. I will soon be thinking of having more. My kids do a really cute thing when we dine here … they each always order the same thing, different from each other but the same each time. After awhile they look at each other and say, «Ready»? They then switch plates and polish off whatever is left of their sister’s dish. I love this.
Why not more stars you ask after such a rave review. One word… laziness. Laziness, laziness that created an Alfred Hitchcock type scenario on the patio as each table got up and left their plates on the table. These plates, I assume, are to be picked up by the staff. I am guessing this because EVERYONE left their plates. At least four tables were full of dirty dishes. This resulted in the swooping and swarming and flapping created by dozens of little sparrows!!! Uncool and icky and one even grazed Sam’s head, and she flipped. The staff… getting themselves cold drinks inside, I was watching you. I saw you, seeing me and the birds and the flapping, you had not a customer to serve so dishes you could fetch. C’mon guys.